Origins of the Prime

by Christopher Vale

  Over the years, Arnulf developed theories on how that could be accomplished. Essentially, an alien, and theoretically a human, could have its mind melded to the base itself. There were several points throughout the base where Arnulf believed one could communicate directly with the base itself. One of those was up above his current location, the room from which he had fled team Blitzkrieg.

  Far below the main floor, there was a central area that had always boggled the minds of the scientists, but Arnulf thought he understood its purpose—central control. From there someone could “plug” themselves in and control the entire base. He just had to get there before those idiot Slavs or Jews stopped him.

  ***

  Axel followed Alena, sprinting as fast as he could to keep up. He turned a corner behind her and then watched as she disappeared in a flash. “Hey wait!” Axel shouted as he chased after her.

  Axel finally caught up with her in a circular room that was surrounded by large tubes. Alena stood in the center, staring up at them. “What is this?” Axel asked, stepping beside her and looking around the room.

  “A dead end,” Alena frowned.

  “No,” Axel shook his head. “These tubes lead somewhere.”

  “I’m sure they do,” Alena said. “But it’s a long way down.” Axel tilted his head to look at her quizzically. “See for yourself,” she said motioning toward a tube with her hand.

  Axel stepped past Alena and poked his head into the opening of one of the tubes and looked straight down. There was no floor. The tube went down, down, down. The bottom was lost in the darkness. “Whoa,” Axel said and stepped backward.

  “See what I mean?” Alena asked. “We must have missed something, another hatch that he closed maybe. They seem to blend in perfectly with the walls, like the wall itself opens, making them almost impossible to see.” She shook her head, frustrated with herself. “I ran by too fast, I’ve got to slow down and pay attention,” she complained more to herself than to him. “Lets go back and…” she began, but Axel placed a hand on her arm stopping her.

  “How did you find us?” Axel asked.

  “What do you mean?” Alena said with a perplexed look.

  Axel turned his eyes away from the tube to focus on Alena. “You know what I mean. Arnulf led us to the temple, but how did you and Gerd…I mean…Alexi find it?”

  Alena glanced down at her feet. “We already knew where the temple was.”

  “Arnulf told you?” Axel asked.

  Alena shook her head. “No. Apparently the Nazis had used local Vietnamese as slaves working out here. The Vietnamese figured it had to be important if the Germans were this interested in it. They told our government and…” she let it trail off. “Well anyway, we’ve known about this place a long time.”

  Axel stood staring at her. “So, what do you need Arnulf for?”

  “Unfortunately, the Vietnamese executed all of the Nazi scientists before we could interrogate them and learn how to access it.” She shook her head. “After decades, our scientists still could not get anywhere. Basically, we need Arnulf to unlock it.”

  “Then why keep him in Siberia, why not bring him to Vietnam?”

  Alena laughed. “Arnulf hates us,” she said. “He is a Nazi. He hates communists, he hates Slavs, he hates Russia, he hates the Soviet Union. He would never help us unlock this place. But the Americans…”

  “What about the Americans?” Axel asked defensively. He did not like what she was implying.

  “Well, while we would certainly offer him a chance to live if he would serve the Motherland, the Americans would offer him freedom, money, power.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Axel said and turned away.

  “Is it?” Alena asked.

  “So, that thing in Siberia,” he said, “that was just a setup. You planned for us to escape all along.”

  “We had several contingencies. But yes, your escaping was one of them.” Then she too turned away. “Come on, we’re wasting time talking.”

  “No,” Axel said. “You said you needed Arnulf to unlock this place. He knew how to unlock it, because his people had figured it out.”

  “Presumably,” Alena replied.

  “Have you ever heard of the small flying disks allied pilots reported seeing over Berlin in the final days of the War?”

  “Yes.”

  “Our office would very much like to figure out how the Germans did that. One theory is they were space aliens observing the war.” Axel chuckled. “Until recently, I thought that was absurd.” He shook his head and continued. “Another theory is that the Germans had somehow figured out anti-gravity.” Axel turned back to smile at her. “Imagine that. Anti-gravity.” He turned back to the tubes and unsnapped the radio from his belt, tossing it into the tube closest to him. Instead of falling as one would expect, it floated in the tube as if by magic. Axel turned to smile at Alena. “I’m going to guess that both may be accurate.”

  Alena’s eyes went wide. She rushed over to the tube and stuck her hand inside. It felt no different. “But how…?”

  Axel shrugged. “There is some kind of electro field, I know that much. I’m highly sensitive when it comes to electricity and I could feel it when I stuck my head inside. Clearly they have technology much more advanced than our own.”

  Alena nodded at the understatement as she peered back into the tube. “So what do we do?” she asked.

  Axel walked past her and stood in front of the opening of the tube. He turned around, turning his back to the tube and smiled at Alena. She stared back at him. He gave her a little wink and then stepped backward into the tube. Her mouth fell open as he appeared to just float there. He retrieved his radio and clipped it to his belt again. He held out his hand to her. She hesitated, but then stepped forward and took his fingers, allowing him to pull her inside. They were close, floating face-to-face.

  Alena swallowed and glanced away from Axel, not wanting to meet his eyes. She looked down into the darkness below their feet, but quickly looked back up. He smiled at her. “So now what do we do?” she asked in an almost whisper.

  “I don’t see a down button,” he smiled causing Alena to laugh.

  “Can we just ask it to take us to the floor that the other guy went to?” Alena laughed.

  “I sure wish it were that ea…” Axel began but his voice was caught in his throat as he and Alena fell at free fall speed. Her eyes were filled with the terror he felt. They flung their arms around each other holding on tightly as they fell. Then they began to slow and came to a stop at another opening in the tube. Alena scrambled to get out and Axel was right behind her. Once outside of the tube, Axel bent over and placed his hands on his knees. “Oh my God,” he said.

  Once she had recovered, Alena glanced at Axel, who was straightening again. “Did that work? Are we on the correct floor?” she asked.

  “Only one way to find out,” he said. He jogged past her and she followed. After a few moments they saw Arnulf in a room at the end of the long corridor. “There he is,” Axel said.

  “I’ve got him,” Alena replied and dashed away in a red blur.

  Arnulf stood before a large cone atop a raised platform. Alena stopped a few feet behind him. “Stop Colonel,” she said. He slowly turned to face her.

  “Stop what, my dear?” Arnulf asked. Axel arrived and stood beside Alena. “Ah, I see you two are working together now. I’m sure your governments will love that.” He smiled through the sarcasm.

  “What are you doing?” Axel demanded.

  “Me?” Arnulf asked as if truly shocked that they would even care. “I am unlocking the base. Isn’t that what you both wanted?” Axel glanced at Alena, but she kept her eyes firmly on Arnulf. “Isn’t that why I was brought along, Axel?”

  Suddenly, the wall of a giant upside down metal cone behind Arnulf parted as the cone itself more-or-less twisted open. Arnulf kept his eyes on the two of them as he stepped backward, up the steps toward the opening.

  Alena pulled a small sword from a shea
th on her back. “Stop right there, Colonel,” she commanded. “If you do not, I swear I’ll kill you.”

  Arnulf’s eyes flicked to Axel’s. “Are you on her side?” he asked. “Are you going to let her kill me?”

  Axel turned to Alena. He had strict orders not to kill Arnulf. “Alena, what are you doing?”

  “What I should have done a long time ago,” she said, but before she could move Axel grabbed her arm.

  “Alena, we need him. Both of us.” Alena turned to face Axel rage burning in her eyes. As she did so, Arnulf turned and scrambled up the steps and darted inside the cone. Alena jerked away from Axel and dashed after Arnulf, but she wasn’t fast enough. The cone twisted closed, sealing Arnulf inside.

  “Dammit Axel!” Alena shouted as she turned back toward her old friend. “I had him! Stop getting in my way!” she shouted angrily through narrow eyes.

  Axel stared at the wall behind which Arnulf had disappeared. They had him trapped inside the cone. Where did Alena think he was going to go?

  ***

  Arnulf watched as the walls slid closed by twisting together, sealing him inside the cone as if there were no wall at all. He inhaled deeply, both nervous and excited. His heart pounded in his chest. He was not positive this would work. He was not positive he would survive even if it did work, but it was worth the risk. If he was correct and if he did survive, he would become the most powerful being on earth.

  Arnulf turned and laid his hands upon the walls of the cone. He felt the walls move, like skin and muscle churning beneath his fingertips. He felt the organic material creep up over his fingers and hands and then up his arms. The sensation was strange, but none of this was unexpected. The organic matter crept over his entire body, closing in over him. Soon all he could see was darkness. He felt closed in. He felt like he was going to suffocate. He suddenly regretted this. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

  Arnulf calmed himself immediately when, although in total darkness, he realized he could see. He saw everything. He saw Axel and Alena. He saw Tom and Alexi. He saw Rolf and Dawn. Not only could he see them, he could hear them, smell them, taste them. He could feel their heartbeats. He held his breath and listened carefully. When he concentrated, he could even hear their thoughts and desires. More importantly than that, however, he could feel the base. He could feel, taste, smell, and sense the entire alien base. When someone took a step, he felt it vibrate. He had become a part of it now. He had become more than human. He was a god.

  Chapter 21

  Axel and Alena stood staring at the large, organic, metal cone that had twisted closed around Arnulf sealing him off from them. “We need to find a way in,” Alena said with a hint of panic behind her voice. She was still angry at Axel for preventing her from killing Arnulf before the colonel had a chance to close them out, but she had to move past that now. They had more important things to worry about.

  “What does it matter?” Axel asked, clearly still not understanding. “He’s not going anywhere.”

  Alena whipped around to look at him. “Don’t you get it, Axel?” she asked. “He can control this entire place from in there.” Alena took a deep breath calming herself. It was not Axel’s fault. He did not really comprehend the situation. It was difficult to come to grips with the idea of the man of your nightmares taking control of an alien base. Fighting with Axel would not do any of them any good. Alena turned back around, running her fingers over the exterior of the cone, desperately searching for a way to open it again.

  “What?” Axel asked in disbelief.

  “Arnulf is in the control room,” she said without turning back around.

  “How do you know?”

  “She’s right,” Arnulf’s voice echoed all around them. Both Axel and Alena spun looking in all directions to find the source.

  “What the hell?” Axel whispered.

  “Well, she is almost right. It’s not that I can control the base, but rather, I have become one with the base.”

  Axel’s eyes met Alena’s.

  “Yes, I know it is difficult to fathom,” Arnulf chuckled. Suddenly, there was a deep humming sound as more lights flashed on around them.

  “The power contained in this base is almost immeasurable by our primitive standards,” Arnulf continued. “With it I shall become a god and rule over all of the earth and finally bring order to this chaotic world.”

  “You’re mad!” Axel shouted into the air.

  Arnulf began to cackle. “I am mad?” he asked. “Tell me, what is it you believe your respective governments intended to do with the power they unlocked here?” Axel and Alena did not answer. “Each side desires to dominate the other. I am no more mad than the men you serve.” He paused. “Of course, no one can rule without assistance. I need soldiers. I need super soldiers. Like you.”

  “I’d rather die than help you,” Alena spat.

  “We shall see, my dear. I never believed that you would serve me eagerly. At least, not at first. Oh, no. You’ve become far too headstrong. You’ll need to be broken.”

  Axel’s eyes shot to Alena. “Run!” he shouted. In a flash she was gone and Axel glowed bright with blue energy. “Break this, asshole!” he shouted as lightning blasted from his body engulfing and electrocuting the cone. To Axel’s surprise the electricity dissipated from the cone to the walls. Axel stood still, fists clenched. The humming had stopped and the room was silent other than Axel’s heavy breathing. Was Arnulf dead?

  Axel’s heart leapt when Arnulf’s terrifying cackle broke the silence. “Is that the best you can do, Axel?” he asked. Axel’s eyes went wide with fear as he fled from the room, chasing after Alena with Arnulf’s laughter echoing in his ears.

  ***

  Tom stood, his arms crossed over his chest, staring at the walls trying to figure out a pattern in the glowing symbols. Either a pattern or some oddity that would help him determine how to open the hatches and get out of there the same way Arnulf had opened the wall in the temple. He had attempted to contact the others via radio, but, as he feared, he was unable to get a response.

  Alexi sat on the ground, leaning his back against the wall as he watched Tom. He was nervous, worried for Alena, but he was also very bored. “I think I could pound through with my hammer,” Alexi said for the umpteenth time. “I’m very strong.”

  Tom glanced over his shoulder at Alexi. “I know that you are,” he said with a pleasant smile. “But as I’ve already explained, you run the risk of knocking out the electricity. Then we’d be stuck in here in the dark. You don’t want that do you?”

  Alexi shook his head back and forth. He certainly did not want that. So he simply drew in a deep breath and fidgeted with his boot straps while Tom continued to search for a less violent way out.

  Without warning the illuminated emblems on the walls went dark and Tom and Alexi were engulfed by the blackness. Alexi leapt to his feet, his hammer in hand. Suddenly the wall in front of Tom parted like a puzzle piece and a new corridor opened up, illuminated before them. Tom glanced over his shoulder at Alexi. “Come on,” he said as he unslung the rifle from his shoulder.

  Alexi followed Tom into the tunnel. Tom knew that going in might be dangerous, but it also might be the only way to find the others. They certainly could not just sit in the dark. They had to do something.

  ***

  Rolf held Dawn in his arms as he sat on the floor, his back against the wall. He rocked back and forth as he held her. “It’s okay, Dawn,” he whispered to her unconscious face. “Axel and Tom will be back soon. They’ll help you. You’ll be alright. We’ll get out of here and everything will be okay.” He felt tears begin to build in his eyes. “Please don’t be dead,” he whispered to her. He then wiped the tears away. He couldn’t start crying. Not now. Dawn needed him and he had to be strong. Superheroes didn’t start crying when they got into a jam. Superheroes got out of the jam. Superheroes saved the good guys and defeated the bad guys.

  Rolf gently laid Dawn down on the floor and sto
od up. If he could just find a way to get to Tom or Axel, they would make everything alright. He walked over to where the hatch—through which Colonel Arnulf had disappeared—had opened. It was closed now and appeared to be no different than the rest of the wall. There were not even any lines on the wall where it had separated, so Rolf had a difficult time determining where it had actually been. Suddenly, the hatch slid open again, coming apart just as before and startling Rolf and he took a timid step back. Suddenly realizing what had happened, Rolf rushed back and scooped Dawn up into his arms.

  “It’s going to be okay Dawn,” he told her. “We’re going to go find Axel.” Rolf ran through the hatch and down the corridor to find his brother and hopefully get help for Dawn.

  ***

  Axel found Alena waiting for him far down the corridor from Arnulf. He stopped running, looked at her and shook his head to indicate that he had not been able to destroy Arnulf with his lightning. “Dammit!” she cursed when she realized that Axel had been unsuccessful. “What now?”

  “We get the hell out of here and call in an air strike on this place,” Axel said.

  “Neither one of our governments are going to be too keen to bomb it,” Alena replied.

  “Well, right now we just need to focus on finding the others and getting out of here,” Axel said. “We’ll worry about how to deal with Arnulf later. Let’s find those tubes and figure out how in the world we go back up?”

  “Good luck,” came Arnulf’s voice cackling from out of nowhere.